of anderson



April 8, 1930. Z L 1,753,604

IGNITION APPARATUS Filed May 15, 1929 I Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT! OFFICE HERMAN LEWIS HARTZELL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE IGNITION APPARATUS Application filed May 1, 1929. Serial No. 363,394.

This invention relates to improvements in ignition apparatus for high speed, multicylinder internal combustion engines.

It is among the objects of the present in- 5 vention to provide ignition apparatus adapted to furnish a plurality of sparking impulses in each cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, simultaneously and in recurrent sequence.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device adapted to interrupt electrical circuits repeatedly at a high rate of speed with a minimum of sparking at the Fig. 1 is a view partly diagrammatic and partly structural showing the ignition apparatus and the electrical connections there- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings, the ignition device is shown comprising a housing 20 which may be attached to the engine in any suitable manner. A shaft which carries the cam 21 is rotatably supported by the housing. The reference numeral 22 designates a plate which is adjustably carried within housing 20. Plate 22 has a plurality of elongated slots 23 the longer sides of which are substantially .all parallel to each other. Screws 24 have their shank portions extending through the slots 23 and threadedly engage the housing 20. Loosening of the screws 24 permits the plate 22 to be adjusted relative to the housing and the cam 21.

Plate 22 supports an upright post 25 which 6 insulatingly, 'pivotally supports a breaker lever 26 having a wall 27 the end of which is formed angularly to the main portion of said wall. Breaker lever 26 carries two contacts 28 and 29, the former being secured to the main wall portion 27, the contact 29 being attached to the angular portion of said wall.

Thus contacts 28 and 29 are arranged in relative oblique planes, or, more specifically, the axes of said contacts 28 and 29 converge behind the breaker lever 26. A rubbing block 30 is attached to the wall 27 of the breaker lever 26 by a rivet 31 which also secures one end of a spring conductor 32 to the said wall of the breaker lever. The other end of the spring conductor 32 is electrically connected to an angular ear 33 of the plate 22 by a bolt and nut 34. Plate 33 being grounded to the housing 20 also grounds breaker lever 26. Spring conductor 32 not only connects the breaker lever 26 to ground, but it also urges .the lever toward the cam 21, so that the rubcured to the plate 22. Two oppositely disposed arms 43 and 44 are provided on the hub 42, the arms being relatively angular and presenting a surface adjacent contacts 28 and 29, one portion of which is substantially parallel to one of said contacts when the other portion is parallel to the other of said contacts. One arm 43 carries a contact 45 adapted to be engaged by the contact 28 the other arm 44 carrying a contact 46 adapted to cooperate with breaker lever contact 29. A spring plate 47 having a slotted end 50 fitting over a lug 51 on plate 22 is interposed between-the' hub 42 of the bracket and plate 22 said spring plate urging the bracket upwardly so that the one end of the hub 42. engages a washer 48 provided at the head end of post 41. Spring plate 47 thus provides a drag upon the bracket 40, tending to hold said bracket against self movement, however, permitting said bracket to be moved rotatably if, for instance, one contact 28 or 29 engages its cooperating bracket contact before the other breaker lever contact engages with its bracket contact. From this it may be seen that the pivoted bracket 40 is automatically adjustable to insure simultaneous engagement of the breaker lever contacts 28 and 29 with the respective bracket contacts 45 aild 46.

Housing 20 insulatingly supports two terminals 55 and 56. Contact 45 is electrically connected with terminal 55 through the flexiole conductor 57 and a similar conductor 58 connects contact 46 with the terminal 56.

In this ignition apparatus two ignition coils are used one comprising primary winding 60 and secondary Winding 61, the other, primary winding62 and secondary winding 63. Primary windings 60 and 62 are connected together at one end by a wire 64 which in turn is connectible to a source of electrical energy 65 by the closing of a switch 66. The other end of primary winding 60 is connected through wire 67 with the terminal 55. Terminal 56 is connected with primary winding 62 through wire 68.

Housing 20 has a distributor head 69 providing a cover therefor, said distributor head having two high tension terminals 7 O and 71 which are connected with high tension windings 61 and 63 respectively through wires 72 and 73. A plurality of terminals 74 are provided on the distributor head 69 said terminals being arranged in a circular row. In the present drawings an ignition apparatus is shown adapted simultaneously to deliver sparking impulses to two spark plugs in each cylinder of a six cylinder engine. Terminals .74 are adapted to be connected with the respective spark plugs, not shown. A conductor track 75---is provided in the distributor head 69, said track being in electrical connection with the terminal 71. A rotor 76 is carried by the cam 21 so as to rotate therewith, said rotor having oppositely dis osed arms angularly arranged, one of w ich carries the conductor strip 77, the other the conductor strip 78. Strip 77 is electrically connected with terminal while strip 78 is electrically connected with a terminal 79 carried by the rotor 76 and in constant engagement with track 75. Strips 77 and 78 are moved into distributing relation with the terminals 74 by rotation of the rotor 76. As shown in the drawings, the rotor 76 is delivering sparking impulses to terminals 7 4 and 7 4 respectively connectible with two spark plugs in one of the engine cylinders. Terminal 74 will re- ,ceive its impulse from winding 61 due'to the breaking of the primary circuit, including winding 60, by the separation of contacts 28 and 45. Simultaneously contacts 29 and 46 are separated, breaking circuit through winding 62, causing winding 63 to be energized, which provides the impulse delivered to the terminal 7 4 through terminal 71, track 75, terminal 79 on rotor 76 and conducting strip 78. will next move the strips 77 and 78 to spark delivery position adjacent terminals 74 and 74 adapted'to be connected to the next firing cylinder plugs, not shown.

By pivotally supporting the bracket which carries the contacts 45 and 46 and by arranging the mats of contacts 4546 and 2829 in angular relation, automatic alignment is substantially assured which rovides for simultaneous engaging and disengaging of said sets of contacts. If for instance; bracket would accidentally be rotated clockwise out tacts 28, 45 and 29, 46 are in angular relation.

7o Clockwise rotation of the rotor However, it is apparent that they can be arranged in a single plane and still simultaneously break two primary ignition circuits.

WVhile the form of embodiment of the'present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Ignition apparatus for multicylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits, means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, said means comprising a pivoted breaker lever, a contact on said lever for each primary circuit, and a member insulatingly supporting a stationary contact for each primary circuit, the breaker lever being operable simultaneouly to move its contacts out of engagement with the respective stationary contacts.

2. Ignition apparatus for multicylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits, means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, said means comprising a pivoted breaker lever, a contact on said lever for each primary circuit, and a pivoted member insulatingly supporting a stationary contact for each primary circuit, the breaker lever 3. Ignition apparatus for multicylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in

faces of the contacts being inrelative oblique planes, a bracket insulatmgly supportinga stationary contact for each primary clrcuit,

- the faces of said contacts coinciding with the faces of the respective contacts on the breaker lever whereby the contacts are disengaged simultaneously bythe operation of the breaker lever. I

4. Ignition apparatus for multicylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits, means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, said means comprising a pivoted breaker lever, a contact mounted on said breaker lever, for each primary circuit, the faces of the contacts being in relative oblique planes, a bracket pivotally supported, a contact for each primary circuit insulatingly carried on the bracket the axes of said bracket contacts coinciding with the respective con- "tacts on the breaker lever whereby said bracket contacts are simultaneously disen- .gaged by the breaker lever contacts.

5. Ignition apparatus for multicylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits; :1 housing; a cam rotatably supported within said housing; a plate adjustably secured to the housing; and a circuit interrupter supported on said plate, said circuit interrupter being adapted to open all of the primary circuits simultaneously, and comprising a breaker lever carrying a contact for each primary circuit and a bracket insulatingly carrying a contact for each primary circuit, both lever and bracket being pivotally secured to the adjustable plate, the cam being operable to move the breaker lever whereby its contacts will simultaneously be moved out of engagement with the respective contacts on the bracket.

6. Ignition apparatus for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits, means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, said means comprising a pivoted breaker lever, provided with contacts for the primary circuits, and an adjustable member insulatingly supporting stationary contacts for the primary circuits, said contacts engaged by the breaker lever contacts, causing the adjustable member to be moved into a proper position so that said'breaker lever may simultaneously interrupt. the primary circuits.

7. Ignition apparatus for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits,

means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, said means comprising a pivoted breaker lever having a plurality of contacts mounted thereon, and a pivoted member insulatingly supportingstationary contacts for the primary circuits, said member being adapted to be adjusted when its contacts are engaged by the breaker lever contacts so that the breaker lever may simultaneously interrupt the primary circuits.

8. Ignition apparatus for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits, means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, saidmeans comprising a movable breaker lever supporting a plurality of contacts, the faces of said contacts being in relative oblique planes, an adjustable breaker insulatingly supporting stationary contacts for the primary circuits, the faces of said contacts being arranged angularly to the same degree as the contacts on the breaker lever whereby the breaker lever when engaging sald stationary contacts will adjust the bracket to insure simultaneous interruption of the primary circuits.

9. Ignition apparatus for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines comprising, in combination, a plurality of primary circuits, means adapted simultaneously to interrupt said circuits, said means comprising a pivoted breaker lever, a plurality of contacts supported on said breaker lever, the faces of said contacts being arranged in relative oblique planes, a pivoted bracket insulatingly supporting angularly arranged stationary contacts for the primary circuits, said bracket being adjustable when engaged by the breaker lever contacts properly to adjust the stationary contacts relative to said breaker lever contacts to insure simultaneous interruption of the primary circuits.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

HERMAN LEWIS HARTZELL. 

